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Rafik Hariri tribunal: Guilty verdict over assassination of Lebanon ex-PM
by bbc.com -- A UN-backed court has found a member of the militant group Hezbollah guilty of involvement in the assassination of former Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri. Judges at the Netherlands-based Special Tribunal for Lebanon said Salim Ayyash had a central role in the bomb attack in Beirut in 2005 that killed Hariri. They acquitted three other defendants, who like Ayyash were tried in absentia. Hezbollah denied any involvement, and the judges said no evidence implicated the Shia militant group's leaders. Hariri's son Saad, who is himself a former prime minister, told reporters outside the court: "I think today everybody's expectation was much higher than what came out, but I believe the tribunal came out with a verdict that is satisfying and we accept it." Now, he said, it was time for Hezbollah to "make sacrifices". "It is clear that the network responsible is from its ranks," he added. "We will not rest until the punishment is carried out." The verdict comes at a time of crisis in Lebanon, with the country still reeling from a devastating explosion at Beirut's port two weeks ago that killed at least 180 people. The blast led to the resignation of the government, already embattled by protests over an economic collapse that has seen many people lose their savings and jobs. The tribunal's verdicts will disappoint supporters of Rafik Hariri as well the families of the 21 others who were killed and the 226 who were wounded, many grievously. The man convicted in his absence, Salim Ayyash, was a well-connected, mid-level operative in Hezbollah, the most powerful military and political group in Lebanon. It is classified by the UK, the US and others as a terrorist organisation. |